91��Ƭ Phi Theta Kappa wins national USA Today competition

February 5, 2014

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91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ †Alpha Mu Chi, Northeast Texas Community College?s chapter of Phi Theta 91��Ƭ †Kappa, earned national acclaim as one of four chapters to win the 2013 Honors Case 91��Ƭ †Study Challenge competition sponsored by USA Today. Tied to the larger Phi 91��Ƭ †Theta Kappa Honors in Action research project, the Case Study Challenge 91��Ƭ †competition gives chapter members an opportunity to focus their attention on a 91��Ƭ †specific area of study. The challenge encourages individual members and 91��Ƭ †chapters of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society to use USA Today 91��Ƭ †newspapers as a study aid and to remain aware of current events. Each of the 91��Ƭ †four winning entrants will receive $500 and be recognized on stage at Phi Theta 91��Ƭ †Kappa?s 2014 Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida in April.

91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ †The entry, entitled ?What does the chalk say?: Innovating America?s 91��Ƭ †Classroom,? focused on educational reforms currently being tried around the 91��Ƭ †country. The chapter chose the focus of the case study after brainstorming for 91��Ƭ †several hours and boiling down their interests into a topic that affected them 91��Ƭ †directly as students. 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ †The topic was 91��Ƭ †chosen as a result of discussions which took place among the officer team and 91��Ƭ †active members at the end of the spring and early summer, with most of the 91��Ƭ †research taking place throughout the early fall semester. A number of members 91��Ƭ †contributed research, including, most notably, Alisha Richardson, Courtney 91��Ƭ †Phillips, Miranda Mendoza, Armando Yepez and Lauren Fennimore. Stephen Milburn 91��Ƭ †(Vice-President of Communication) and Noah Griffin (Chapter President) worked 91��Ƭ †together as lead writers for the submission. Milburn said that they were 91��Ƭ †looking for a topic that they could relate to and would steer them towards 91��Ƭ †coming up with an actionable solution.

91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ †?In public schools today there is a huge 91��Ƭ †gap in the student body between the top GPA students and the average student. We 91��Ƭ †are trying to find a way to bridge the gap,? Milburn said.

91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ †After taking into 91��Ƭ †account research from several articles in USA Today, chapter members distilled 91��Ƭ †the content of four selected articles into a two page report on the state of 91��Ƭ †educational reforms in America and around the world, including a series of 91��Ƭ †questions designed to encourage discussion about key portions of the topic and 91��Ƭ †an analysis of the future implications of the reforms being tried. Their 91��Ƭ †winning entry can be viewed at 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ †The Alpha Mu Chi chapter has entered this competition in past years, but 91��Ƭ †this was the first time that the chapter won the contest.

91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ † 91��Ƭ †Dr. Melissa Weinbrenner, chapter Advisor, 91��Ƭ †stated ?I am extremely proud of this group and delighted to see them win their 91��Ƭ †first national level award. This year?s members are exceptionally hard working, 91��Ƭ †creative and thoughtful.?

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91��Ƭ Phi Theta Kappa wins national USA Today competition

I embarked on my college career at the age of 53. Two years later I graduated with an Associate of Applied Science in Funeral Service, and I am thrilled with my decision to attend 91��Ƭ. — George Edwards

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